Time Machine: L88 Vette

In 1953 Chevrolet introduced the world to a new American icon, in the form of the first Corvette. But while the car would quickly become a trendsetter in its own right, it wasn’t until the horsepower wars of the ’60s pushed output levels into the stratosphere that the Vette developed into a true muscle machine. The ’67-’69 L88s were the purest distillation of this new class of street-and-track warrior.

Back in 1968, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Robert Tortorete heard about the L88 Vette, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to get one. The then-20-year-old Tortorete walked into Jack Sullivan Chevrolet in Etna to purchase his dream car, only to be told that it didn’t exist.

After arming himself with information and a complete parts list that was never made available to the public, Tortorete returned to the same dealer, dropped $7,200 on the desk, and ordered his new car: a ’69 Daytona Yellow Corvette convertible with a Black interior and the 427/430hp L88 engine. Backing the race-spec mill were a heavy-duty, close-ratio four-speed; special front and rear suspensions; a Positraction rear axle; vacuum power brakes; heavy-duty brakes; and a heavy-duty, 10-inch-diameter clutch assembly.

2/7

But while Tortorete was dreaming of breaking speed records in his new muscle-Vette, the car’s production was slowing to a crawl. The body was ready, and the paint had been sprayed, but the low-volume engine was nowhere near completion. The plant put the body in storage to wait until the powertrain was complete.

During this time a lot changed in Tortorete’s life. A week after ordering his Corvette, he became engaged to his girlfriend, Ruth, and the pair began making plans for the future. Nine months after the original order date, the car was finally delivered to Jack Sullivan Chevy. By this time, the newly married Tortoretes were expecting their first child. Robert nevertheless took his new car to the limit, only to state later that, “It wasn’t fast enough, and upon reaching 165 miles per hour, the front end felt light.”

3/7

With a new family to worry about, Tortorete realized that he needed a more accommodating vehicle, so in 1971, he put the 19,000-mile Corvette up for sale. He would go on to establish a business and satisfy his need for speed by drag racing professionally.

Second owner David Bundy held on to the Vette for 37 years, and in 2001 he had Paul Schuster perform a complete restoration on it. During this time, a friend of Schuster’s named Greg Ornazian fell in love with the car. Ornazian contacted Bundy to see if he was interested in selling, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was.

4/7

When we asked Bundy what his favorite memory of the Vette was, he stated, “When you would really get on the gas, because of all of the torque, the frame would twist, and the ‘Door Ajar’ light would come on. It was the coolest thing.”

Third owner Ornazian was delighted to bring the ’69 home to his collection. He was invited to bring the car to the Bloomington Gold L88 Special Collection, where it was inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame. It also won an NCRS Top Flight Award, Bloomington Gold Certification, and many other accolades under Ornazian’s stewardship.

Fast-forward to the 2012 Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida, where Ornazian decided to put his award-winning Corvette up for bids. To enhance the excitement, all three owners were reunited for the occasion. Robert Tortorete brought pictures of the car from the time when he owned it. As the trio stood there, reviewing the photos, Tortorete said, “It’s funny: After all this time, I’ve aged, but the car looks the same as the day I brought it home.”

When the moment came to drive the Daytona Yellow L88 across the block, Tortorete was handed the keys and asked to do the honors. The bids quickly started coming in like wildfire. When the reserve price was met, the audience erupted in applause. The hammer finally dropped at $610,000, and a new owner became part of the living history of this very special Corvette.

MORE PHOTOS

VIEW FULL GALLERY

xclose

Time Machine: L88 Vette

1. The L88 was rated at 430 horses but made nearly 600 in racing trim. High-octane leaded fuel was mandatory, to support the engine’s heady 12.5:1 compression ratio.

2. The restored black interior looks factory fresh, just as you’d expect for an NCRS Top Flight winner.

3. The car sold for $610,000, proving once again that L88 Corvettes are among the most desirable collector vehicles out there.

4. The car’s first three owners were reunited at this year’s Mecum Kissimmee auction. From left are Robert Tortorete, David Bundy, and Greg Ornazian.

5. Original owner Tortorete brought along a photo album documenting his time with the car.

6. Tortorete prepares to drive the ’69 across the auction block in Florida.

COMMENTS

related articles

Produced on February 18th 1963, the stunning Sebring Silver-on-Black ’63 Corvette Z06 “Tanker” split-window coupe you see here is one of a mere 199 Z06s built before General Motors stopped production to comply with the industry-wide self-imposed ban on racing activities, according to the NCRS/GM Shipping Data Report. » Read More

It’s common knowledge that Chevrolet produces the best cars in the world. I mean, come on. We wouldn’t drive them if they didn’t! But this past weekend’s Mecum auction in Dallas proved what we all already know as Chevys owned eight of the top ten best seller spots. » Read More

Last week at the Mecum auction in Dallas, an incredible eight of the top ten sales were Chevrolet vehicles, and half of them were Corvettes. Here you have it – a quick rundown of the four Vettes that sold and the incredible amounts of money that each raked in. » Read More